Often electronic content data do not consistently adhere to one standard on format, organization, and use in consistent software. For example, each individual content data creator may choose to save electronic content data in various formats including a variety of text formats, document formats, spread sheet formats, presentation formats, visual graphic formats (e.g. chart, graph, map, drawing, image formats), audio formats, multimedia (e.g. video formats) formats, and database formats. This heterogeneous nature of the electronic content data can pose challenges when the various content need to be converted to a different format. Existing translation solutions typically require that heterogeneous content be converted into a common format. Translation from format A to format B is done in two steps: an import from format A to the common format followed by an export from the common format to format B. This allows all possible mappings between N number of formats with 2N number of converters rather than N2-N number of converters that would be needed without a common format. However, this common format method is inefficient, requiring two conversions steps rather than one. Many standard tools for conversion to the common format operate at inconsistent semantic levels, or encode an inappropriate semantic level, potentially causing information needed to perform desired content management and/or electronic publishing functions, for example, to be lost. As new file formats are created, the current solutions are difficult to adapt to rapidly advancing software technology. Therefore, there exists a need for a better way to convert electronic content.